The Three Brothers
by Aria Breuer
Summary: Sequel to 'Reader's Retribution'. The Fellowship and their Watch are broken. Erita Rashkin has given her copy of 'The Lord of the Rings' to Jessica's sister, Teresa Nytch. Secrets and mysteries will unfold, including the source of 'the barrier'. The Journey Continues… An item-insertion parody to 'The Two Towers'. Alternate Reality.
1. Preface to Book Three

**The Three Brothers**

**By: Aria Breuer**

**Disclaimers:** All material from _The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers_ book belongs to J.R.R. Tolkien. All material not related to _The Lord of the Rings_ books – such as music, movies, games, and other books – belongs to their respected owners. All original material (items, original characters [animals and beings], sub-plots [include main sub-plot], etc.) belongs to the author of this fan fiction item-insertion parody.

**Full Summary:** Sequel to _Reader's Retribution_. The Fellowship and their Watch are broken. Erita Rashkin has given her copy of The Lord of the Rings to Jessica's sister, Teresa Nytch. Secrets and mysteries will unfold, including the source of 'the barrier'. The Journey Continues… Alternate Reality.

* * *

Due to a glitch on my hard drive, I have had to rewrite this chapter and the next few to come. The general ideas are still there, though.

Also, the first section of this preface begins at the beginning of _Chapter III: The Uruk-hai_ and during Gandalf's conversation in _Chapter V: The White Rider_, from Part 1 or Book Three of _The Two Towers_, and the Appendices Timeline in _The Return of the King_.

* * *

**Preface to Book Three**

Clockwise flew through the woods as the others did. He called for Frodo, but received no answer. Nervous about what lay further in the woods, Clockwise retreated back to the shore, but found no one. In the distance, he heard shouting. Following the sounds, Clockwise soon caught up to Merry and Pippin, who were in danger. By the time he caught up to the two hobbits, Clockwise found they were fighting and hacking the Orcs. Aimlessly, Clockwise joined the fray with all the speed he could muster.

Merry and Pippin were not alone, for Boromir came leaping in to the rescue. Deciding to help, Clockwise showed his bronze pendant to one of the Uruk-hai. The light blinded the first Uruk-hai it took out. Finding the pendant useful, Clockwise blasted the light at another Uruk-hai, blinding him as well. Before he had a chance to gain full advantage, one of the Orcs brandished the red macaw, sending him hurtling to the leafy forest floor. The last Clockwise remembered, before blacking out, was seeing Merry and Pippin taken prisoner.

* * *

At the top of Mount Zirakzigil, the brown Tonkinese cat approached the lifeless body of the wizard Gandalf the Grey. The cat stood in silence for a few moments. A harsh wind blew across his fur, sending a chill to the bones. The cat nudged the wizard's cheek, hoping he would return. Then, the unthinkable happened. The wizard's hair turned from grey to a silvery-white. The wizard awoke, turning his attention to the cat.

"You – you have returned," said the old man.

_Indeed I have, but the world has grown more perilous. Sauron's returned, but I fear he is sending enemies to even places I cannot see_, thought the Tonkinese cat.

"Indeed. Then we must hurry," said Gandalf, standing up.

_Should we find your friends?_ The Tonkinese cat thought.

"Yes, and you may meet one along the way," said Gandalf. "Our paths have crossed, as will our meeting with Ester."

_I have business to attend to in Fangorn. Meet me there_, said the Tonkinese cat, rushing down the mountain.

"Indeed I shall," said Gandalf, using his white staff to help him down the mountain.

* * *

Teresa Nytch went with her elder sister Jessica and Jessica's friend Erita Rashkin to the pet shop. Unlike Jessica and Erita, who bought two black cats, Teresa decided to get a red macaw. She gave him the name Clockwise, due to his erratic behavior with staring at a clock.

Teresa admitted she was a Frodo Baggins fan. Unlike Jessica, Teresa wasn't as outspoken or annoying. Still, Teresa was the brainy one in the family. To Jessica, this meant Teresa didn't have any boyfriends, something Teresa didn't mind. Teresa didn't have many friends and due to this Jessica picked on her.

Then that fateful day came. When Jessica and Teresa were trying to get their animals to listen Clockwise disappeared with Gizzard into the appendices of _The Lord of the Rings_. Teresa blamed Jessica for losing their pets, but Jessica spoke truthfully about the situation. They were unaware, months later, that Erita lost her cat Mr. Cuddle-Muffin in another copy of the book trilogy.


	2. Prologue: Second Endeavors

Similar to _Reader's Retribution_, the Prologue and Interludes will be in the first-person perspective. The main chapters will be in the third-person perspective.

* * *

**Prologue:**

**Second Endeavors**

To be honest, I couldn't quite tell why Erita Rashkin was literally handing me her books from _The Lord of the Rings_ trilogy. She didn't give me a full explanation. Still, I took the books without question, letting her know that she could have them back after I've finished reading them.

When I got back home, I delved into _The Fellowship of the Ring_. It seemed like new, too new in fact, since most of the passages were extended and the book was thicker than I remembered. That wasn't the strange part. It seemed as if objects and animals were added to the story, which made no sense. For a time, I asked myself why the name Clockwise was written in the story. Clockwise was my bird after all. How did he end up in the book?

If you're asking by now whose talking, then here it is. I'm Teresa Nytch, the younger sister of Jessica Nytch. You may have heard of Jessica's… let's say endeavors in the first story. Well, this is the second story, the sequel, to the first story where Erita was narrating.

Anyway, let's jump right in to where my incidents began: it was summer of 2010. I had just finished another grade in high school. Jessica, not to my surprise, came home from her first semester in college. I still had Erita's books and had just finished reading her copy of _The Fellowship of the Ring_. The book was pretty good overall, making me look forward to finding out what happened next to Gizzard and dear Clockwise.

That's when I discovered, as I flipped through the pages of the next book, _The Two Towers_ was still the same book. No Gizzard, no Clockwise, and certainly no Mortar. There weren't any extended sections either. It was as if the book was the same as before the two black cats and the red macaw invaded the books, same with before the objects intruded in on the story. I glanced up at one of "The Two Towers" posters, plastered on my bedroom walls, with gloomy eyes. Had I missed something? I wondered why Erita gave me the books in the first place.

Annoyed, I threw Erita's copy of _The Two Towers_ across the room. It hit the wall almost perfectly, leaving my mom furious with me for doing so. I apologized and picked up the book from the floor. Just like that, upon opening the first page of the second book, new passages and dialogue appeared in the story. What was even stranger was how Gizzard and Mortar suddenly appeared in the story, as if they knew someone had started… wait, an earthquake? That couldn't be right.

Nevertheless, what I done did its job. Befuddled, I set the book down on my desk, right next to my laptop. Aimlessly, I glanced at the posters. In one instant, Frodo in the poster moved as did the bottom where Gollum is leading Frodo and Sam through the Dead Marshes. A black cat followed after Gollum, catching up to the three quickly. I blinked at this and looked away. When I looked up again, Frodo was in his place as was the bottom part of the poster.

What was happening?

My thoughts were interrupted upon Jessica's arrival. She said, with great demise, "I'm surprised Mom didn't ground you for banging your book against the wall."

"I can hardly imagine a reason why she would," I said, deliberately.

Jessica remained suspicious. "Are you hiding something?"

"No," I lied, rather unconvincingly.

Jessica glared at me as she left my room. "Well, you had better not be doing anything with Erita's copies of _The Lord of the Rings_."

"I assure you, I won't," I said. Jessica closed my bedroom door.

Erita's copies were banged up and battered pretty good. Still, it took me by surprise that her copies would be jinxed. I wondered that about _The Two Towers_. Taking my interests at heart, I decided to experiment with the second book. Right on the first chapter, I said softly: "Boromir is alive throughout this book."

What I said worked! The book started to thicken, with new passages and dialogue added in. This was fun, but it also meant I could do anything I wanted with the story. Hopefully, no one would be hurt to see the changes.

Deciding to continue my experimentation, I flipped ahead to the third chapter, involving Merry, Pippin, and the Uruk-hai. For some reason, the red macaw Clockwise was now in the book. Showing some sympathy towards the bird, I told the book: "Give Clockwise some water puddles, where he can voice his thoughts." That did something, which gave Clockwise some dialogue of his own to add to the story.

Flipping back to the first chapter, I went on with my experimentation. I added in anvils to strike at any Uruk-hai and Orcs that were present. Figuring my work was done at the moment, I decided to start reading _The Two Towers_ from the beginning. Now that the story was continuing where it left off, things started to make sense with Gizzard, Mortar, and Clockwise as the main characters. However, something about Mortar reminded me of Erita's black cat Mr. Cuddle-Muffin. Either way, I was going along with the characters. So, in case anything happened to Frodo… well, like me, readers will have to read on and see what happens next.


	3. Chapter 1: Boromir's Confession

This chapter follows _Chapter I: The Departure of Boromir_, from Book Three or Part One _The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers_. A major plot twist occurs in this chapter, along with the re-start of the droppings of objects. Algar's quote came from _Reader's Retribution_, in _Chapter Twenty-Five: Barrier Between Worlds_. Also, we're picking up where _Reader's Retribution_ and _The Lord of the Rings_ left off, which in the books is the last part of what was seen in "The Fellowship of the Ring" film. This is where that poll I did for this chapter began, as most people voted for what occurred to Boromir, which did surprise me.

Also, remember to review this chapter, as well as give some general ideas for household items to drop into _The Two Towers_ book, throughout this parody. I realize there will be a lot of objects and alterations added, before the story moves to the climax. I will make sure each chapter has a different set of objects and alterations. No two objects and alterations will be the same, but there will be running gags put into this item-insertion parody.

* * *

**Chapter One:**

**Boromir's Confession**

Gizzard lost Clockwise during his flight through the woods. He knew he proved faster than the red parrot, but that day it was almost too fast. One minute Gizzard heard Clockwise's cries, calling Frodo's name. The next minute, the red parrot had vanished. Still, the search for Frodo continued. Gizzard did find Aragorn at the top of the hill, sitting on the high seat. Gizzard hoped that Frodo and Clockwise would show up by then, but neither re-appeared. Sam was also missing, as were the other companions from both the Fellowship.

_All right! Where did that crazed bird fly off to?_ Gizzard thought, fuming with determination.

Gizzard's thoughts, as well as Aragorn's, were interrupted by the sound of Boromir's horn. The horn was cut off, by the signal was clear. Gizzard sped off, moments before Aragorn fled from the high seat. Gizzard guessed that Clockwise was somewhere in the action.

Just as Gizzard reached the wooded area, he was thrown to the side by his brother, Mortar. He looked up in time to see Aragorn rushing ahead. Before Gizzard could say anything, he was cut off by Mortar, who pushed his head back with his black paw. Gizzard threw the paw off, continuing to claw and bat at his brother. The two cats fought until a large earthquake caused them to stop fighting.

Gizzard spoke aloud. "Mortar, why are you doing this? We need to stop this fighting, brother."

Mortar broke his own silence. "Ester, you clearly haven't learned anything. I intend to find the One Ring and…"

"And do what?" asked Gizzard, worried. "Mortar, it isn't worth finding the Ring. Let the Ring be destroyed and…"

"Destroyed?" asked Mortar, stunned. "You expect me to leave the Ring destroyed in the hands of a hobbit." Realization struck him. "Where did the Ring-bearer go, Ester?"

"Come home with me, brother. Come home and maybe we can start over."

Mortar shook his head. "No, brother. Return home where? We don't even live at the barn anymore."

Gizzard started, "Then come back home to our masters. It would be a wise decision."

Mortar advanced his part of the conversation, "Ester, we don't have masters. Cats aren't the same as dogs. Surely you knew that."

"Just as Sauron picked our species," said Gizzard.

"What does Sauron have to do with us, brother?" asked Mortar, unconvinced.

"Still, come back home. Let's leave this land and return home. Stop this foolish quest you're undertaking," said Gizzard, sounding convincing.

Mortar backed off. "No! That Ring – that scratch toy – should be mine!"

"Then it is true," said Gizzard.

Mortar shook his head in disbelief. "You know nothing of the world. You know nothing." He charged off down the hill, before another word was said.

Before Gizzard had the chance to follow his brother, another horn cry sounded. Gizzard, desperate on which path to choose, heard another cry. He journeyed for a good distance, but then found a scattering of Uruk-hai, Orcs, and a bunch of anvils, small and large. He looked confused at the anvils, wondering how they managed to knock out as many Orcs as there was presently dead. Then he remembered the words spoke at Lothlórien:

_"Exactly," said Algar, and added, bluntly, "However, your brother is not the first to shield future eyes from the past. Generations before the Third Age, many animals, including the Eagles, have found the skill enough to block those futuristic eavesdroppers. Mortar is not the first cat to do this, and he certainly won't be the last. If items are dropping out from thin air, rest assured the barrier between the future and the past is about ready to break once again."_

"The barrier between time and worlds. That must explain how Erita was able to send objects here," said Gizzard. He knew that had to be the only explanation for the dropping objects, which included the recent anvil ambush. He journeyed onwards without another thought, keeping his feet from touching the Orcs' dead bodies.

* * *

At Parth Galen, in a little glade not far from the lake, Gizzard met Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli. Moments into Gizzard asking about Boromir, Aragorn directed the black cat to a great tree where the Gondorian man rested. Boromir had survived the attack, with no arrows showing on his chest. Gizzard guessed he survived due to help from the three Fellowship members and, apparently, the anvils.

Gizzard asked the man, shocked, "Boromir – are you all right? I came as fast as I could…"

"I'll be all right," said Boromir, still shell-shocked. "The hobbits; they're…"

"We'll find them, Boromir," said Aragorn.

"How did you survive the battle?" asked Gizzard, confused.

"With aide coming from those anvils," said Boromir, pointing to the iron anvils. "I must say, without their help, I don't know if I would have survived the battle."

"Where's Clockwise?" asked Gizzard.

"That red bird… he was taken, same as Merry and Pippin," said Boromir. "I'm not sure about his fate."

"We have to go after him," said Gizzard.

"We plan on doing just that, Gizzard," said Aragorn.

Gizzard looked at the Elf and Dwarf. "You two have been silent, since my arrival."

"There is much to think about, yet we still need to find Frodo," said Legolas.

"He must have returned to the shore," said Gimli, pointing out.

"Then let's head that way," said Gizzard. He noticed Aragorn nod in agreement.

"Yes, I think you're right," said Boromir.

* * *

As they collected whatever weapons they could find, Aragorn found the two knives Merry and Pippin carried. Legolas searched for arrows to fill his empty quiver. Upon the Orcs' shields was a small white hand in the centre of a black field, while on the helm was set an S-rune wrought of some white metal. The five pondered this, but Aragorn figured the S-rune stood for Saruman. Boromir did not like the look of Saruman's white hand symbol on the shields, yet he spoke in murmurs and loud cries about it here and there.

While searching the dead bodies and the armor, Gizzard noticed there was no sign of Algar's brother Silvanus, or at least a mark on the shields. Gizzard wondered if Algar's story was true and Silvanus made it to Orthanc, or the dark tower Isengard. From the looks of things, Gizzard could only assume that Silvanus hadn't been anywhere near Isengard. Gizzard continued to follow the four members of the Fellowship as they pillaged and searched for meanings to the riddles they sought.

Reaching the River Anduin, the five guessed that Frodo had gone and taken Sam with him. Gizzard looked and saw cat tracks speed at a great pace across the shore. He assumed then that Mortar, his brother, must have found a way to reach the opposite shore. He feared the worst, yet he had to decide which path to take. As Aragorn and Boromir led the Four Hunters back inland, Gizzard's mind was made up as he chased after them.


	4. Chapter 2: Entry into Rohan

This chapter follows _Chapter II: The Riders of Rohan_, from Book Three or Part One of _The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers_. The anvil idea came from ValueMyHeart, and the Daemon Ritus came from the 2002 live-action film of "Scooby-Doo". This is also where I'm caught up to where I was last time when working on this chapter, yet there's only a small rewrite I did due to the glitch. Also, I should inform you, the readers, that with Gizzard's chapters there will be less humor involved. It's opposite for Clockwise, who has humor. This chapter also introduces to us some new OCs.

* * *

**Chapter Two:**

**Entry into Rohan**

Dusk deepened across the skies. They rested for a brief space in a valley, where they lost the orc-trail. While they rested, they spotted an object careening towards them. Gizzard backed up as the Daemon Ritus landed on the ground before them.

"What is that?" asked Gimli.

Gizzard, recognizing the object, cried, "I know what it is – it's –" Before he had the chance to finish his sentence, his eyelids closed as did the others. When he opened them, he found he was in Aragorn's body. He finished his sentence then, "the Daemon Ritus. Hey, I'm you, Aragorn."

"And I am you, Gizzard," said Aragorn-Gizzard.

"Not this again!" cried Gimli, who was in Legolas' body. "A dwarf doesn't do well in Elven bodies."

"Speak for yourself, Dwarf. This is just what might slow us down," said Legolas-Boromir.

"Why am I a dwarf?" asked Boromir-Gimli, noticing the height.

"Everybody don't panic. Let's just figure this out," said Gizzard-Aragorn.

"We should keep moving. Come. I have found the orc-trail," said Aragorn-Gizzard, speeding off ahead of the others.

As the others followed, they closed their eyelids and the protoplasmic heads returned to their original owners. The Daemon Ritus shot off into the air, but it seemed for a moment that Gizzard thought the Daemon Ritus was following them. While following the orc-trail and spotting at times a set of bird tracks that were sometimes in a struggle, Gizzard realized they had arrived in Rohan. Since this was Gizzard's first time on the plains, he followed Aragorn's lead. Only when they found a leaf brooch, belonging to Pippin did the Daemon Ritus return. Once more, the five companions felt by force closing their eyelids, only to open them and find they were in a different body.

"Hey, I'm an elf this time!" cried Gizzard-Legolas.

"And I'm a dwarf," said Legolas-Gimli.

"Does any of us know when this nightmare will end?" asked Boromir-Aragorn.

Gimli-Gizzard started, "I feel strange as a cat. I wonder if I should-"

"Don't Master Dwarf!" cried Boromir-Aragorn.

"Will everyone just calm down and think? Why is this Daemon Ritus following us?" asked Aragorn-Boromir.

"I think the better question would be why this is happening to us," said Gizzard-Legolas.

Even after Gizzard-Legolas said this, the five companions closed their eyes. The protoplasmic heads returned to their bodies once more, causing the Daemon Ritus to jet off into the air. Now back in their own bodies, Gizzard worried that the Daemon Ritus might return. As the first day passed, the five companions were in relief that the object did not come back.

However, during their flight, various objects, including anvils, flew towards Boromir. He missed most by inches, but was hit by some. Boromir, although baffled he survived, became curious as to why he was sudden being attacked. Aragorn halted only twice on that day's march, where they rested a brief while. They already ran about twelve leagues and here Aragorn was at an impasse. Boromir, Legolas, and Gimli allowed Aragorn to decide what to do next. Gizzard stood silent, watching the area for any sign of enemies. So far, none came that night. Aragorn was convinced that Frodo's path lain the true Quest, whereas theirs was a small matter. Gizzard thought it best when Aragorn finally decided they should spend the night sleeping. Boromir approached the black cat while the others fell into sleep.

"You've come a long way since we met at Rivendell, cat," said Boromir.

"My name is Gizzard, but my true name is Ester," said Gizzard, curtly. "What is it that you want, Boromir?"

"Have you any doubts about what lies on the road ahead?" asked Boromir, curious.

"I have given much thought about this venture. I intend to find Clockwise and resume our task… But, should our paths lead to a different fate than the true Quest, which it seems it is – does, then that is what must happen. I have a feeling my path is already set before me. Right now, I'd rather focus on finding Clockwise," said Gizzard.

"You are a brave cat, Ester. Your species must be very indebted," said Boromir.

Gizzard blushed. "I wish it were so. However, I don't know what other animals are here besides me, my brother, Clockwise, Gwen…" He continued naming until he yawned for a good long while. He noticed Boromir chuckle.

"You should get some rest, cat. The others are already doing so, as will I," said Boromir, returning to the others.

"Thank you, Boromir. You're much kinder now than you've been," said Gizzard last. He felt sleep come over him. Taking a seat under a nearby boulder, Gizzard found he drifted off to sleep. The dream he came across was particularly strange:

_Gizzard was back in Rivendell, only Rivendell didn't look in all its glamour. The elven city appeared to be in ruin. As Gizzard traveled past the familiar sculpture and architecture, he noticed the sky was rolling in dark, menacing clouds. The elves he saw were dead and some bodies were strewn across the familiar dirt paths. He jumped over a couple of the bodies as he made his way to the Last Homely House._

_There, Gizzard saw Gwen, but her expression had changed. She gave a look that almost saw right through him. Gizzard shouted at Gwen, but try as he might he could not get her attention._

"_Where are you, Ester? How come you did not return?" asked Gwen, aimlessly._

"_Gwen, it's me! I'm here! _Gwen, talk to me! Please?!_" cried Gizzard, concerned._

"_Ester, where are you?" repeated Gwen, before moving away._

_Gizzard walked towards the River. There, he found his brother Mortar, who looked like he had killed the creature Gollum. Gollum's body was found lying in a heap on the dead grass. Mortar had the One Ring, and was looking greedy but also menacing._

_Mortar mocked. "Where's your Fellowship now, Gizzard? Did they all pass away?"_

_Gizzard looked up at a tree, where he saw to his horror a familiar bird: Clockwise's dead body hung lifeless on a thick branch. The branch fell, causing Clockwise's body to tumble towards Gizzard. Gizzard backed away at the sight. Mortar cackled as Gizzard fell into a sea of darkness…_

Gizzard awoke at once, frazzled. His heart pounded and he was sweating bullets. To his amazement and relief, Gizzard saw that he was still on the plains. He twirled around, where he saw Aragorn just waking up, Gimli still asleep, Boromir wide awake, and Legolas standing, gazing northwards into the darkness. Aragorn rose and approached the Elf. Gizzard, feeling the need for conversation, approached Boromir. The two spoke about their recent nightmares, in which Boromir accounted losing Merry and Pippin, only to find the two hobbits dead and the Orcs in a ruse. Gizzard knew both dreams were troubling, yet he wasn't sure if they would both come true.

* * *

The third day began. While the Four Hunters were thankful for the Lady of Lórien providing them with _lembas_, Gizzard was also thankful Galadriel had given him the white stone pendant, which helped on a long distance journeys to track down their enemy.

They halted at dusk. They had already run twice twelve leagues across the plains of Rohan. The wall of Emyn Muil was lost in the shadows of the East. This is where they came across the orc-trail once more, as well as more bird tracks and anvils here and there. Gizzard was especially thankful to see bird tracks, which gave him hope that Clockwise was still alive. After a long race across the plains, Aragorn stopped the group at the top of a long slope. There the hunters and cat rested, with Legolas standing and singing elvish songs.

The night passed fitfully. When they awoke, they watched the dawn grow slowly in the sky. Ahead and eastwards on their flight the Four Hunters and cat saw the windy uplands of the Wold of Rohan. To the north stood the forest of Fangorn, still ten leagues away where the shadowy eaves resided. The orc-trail turned from the downs towards it. Heading to the river, leading back to the forest, Aragorn saw a shadow on the distant green, which appeared as a dark swift-moving blur. Aragorn cast himself on the ground with Legolas standing beside him. The others followed their lead.

As Legolas pointed out the number of horsemen riding towards them, Gizzard said in thought, _There's a bronze cat among the horsemen. He appears savage, yet noble._

Aragorn was amazed. "Well Gizzard, your cat eyes are as sharp as an Elf's."

Although the four hunters and their Watch failed in their hunt, as the horsemen rode back down the orc-trail, Aragorn was interested in learning news from the riders. Boromir felt just as interested as Gizzard, for Gizzard wondered about the fate of his feather friend.

After descending down the hill-top, the five companions found a spot on the grass and sat down. Aragorn explained how he met the horsemen and how the horsemen are friends of Gondor, even though they weren't akin to them. In spite of Gimli's statement, Boromir made it clear as Aragorn did that the Riders of Rohan did not pay tribute to Mordor. Even as they spoke, they could hear the distant beat of galloping hoofs. The host almost passed when Aragorn stood up and called them.

The horsemen charged towards the five companions, encircling them. The Riders halted, pointing their spears at the strangers. One of the riders rode forward. He was taller than all the rest; from his helm was the crest of a white horsetail. Aragorn did not move as the rider advanced. Gizzard wondered where the bonze cat was among the men. While a spear was not pointed at him, Gizzard hissed in retaliation. After Aragorn told the Rider the name he had been using, Strider, the rider leapt from his horse, giving his spear to another who rode up and dismounted at his side. From the second rider's saddle, Gizzard saw the bronze cat. The bronze cat's gaze was wary and cautious of the strange, but more so towards Gizzard.

The rider that dismounted first announced himself as Éomer son of Éomund, Third Marshal of the Riddermark. He spoke at length to the three hunters. Upon seeing Boromir, Éomer remembered the horse he lent the Gondorian man and retrieved it for him, allowing him to borrow it once more. Boromir thanked the Rider, before the conversation continued. When Aragorn revealed the sword Andúril and his true name, everyone was in awe. As Éomer spoke of Gandalf and his travels to Rohan, the bronze cat spoke up, announcing his presence right then:

"And who are you, black cat? The only black cat I know to have crossed these parts once was named Mr. Cuddle-Muffin, or as many fear to tell his true name Mortar," asked the bronze cat.

"I am Mortar's brother, you need not fear me. My name is Gizzard," said Gizzard in introduction. "And who might you be?"

The bronze cat, showing a hardened look across his face, leapt from the horse's saddle. He approached the black cat, showing no signs of backing down. "You may be a brave cat, but I have seen many attempt to cross these lands without asking for a price. Also, there's been rumor of dropping objects appearing in these lands. Such, for example, falling anvils, but I've noticed they've only attacked the Orcs that passed through here," said the bronze cat.

"We've seen anvils on our run," said Boromir.

"And a strange object called the Daemon Ritus," said Gizzard, seeing grimaces on his companions faces. "I'm sorry, but it had to be brought up at some point.

"If only it wasn't brought up so quickly," said Gimli, groaning.

Turning to Gizzard, the bronze cat asked, "Why have you come to these lands?"

"I am seeking someone, a friend clothed in red feathers," said Gizzard.

"A macaw. There was a blue macaw that came through Rohan many years ago. Last I heard she entered Fangorn, but her fate is unknown," said the bronze cat.

"My guess is my feathered friend knew this blue macaw. He spoke about a female macaw, yet he was shocked to learn that she may yet be alive," said Gizzard.

"Why do you travel with these… strangers?" asked the bronze cat.

"No stranger than you are travelling with horsemen," said Gimli.

The bronze cat lunged towards Gimli at first, but then backed away upon thinking better. Impressed, the bronze cat said, "You are brave, Master Dwarf." He then told the five companions, "It's strange you search for these Hobbits, yet the name is somewhat familiar to me."

"You've met hobbits?" asked Gizzard, also impressed.

"It was a many years ago, during Marco and Blanco's time, but yes I do remember a great migration. It could have been just a story I heard, but my memory's not as sharp as it used to be." The bronze cat introduced himself, "My name is Rune, and I am an Egyptian Mau cat. I was around during the time the Tonkinese cat showed up in these parts," explained Rune.

"Fascinating," said Gizzard.

Aragorn mentioned to Éomer how they traveled on foot at a great distance. Éomer named Aragorn Wingfoot, due to he and his companions' impressive flight. Gimli had his question answered when Éomer told them, as did Rune, that the Riders did not pay tribute to Sauron and never did. Éomer warned the companions about Saruman's dealings in Rohan and who he was. Before their meeting was finished, Éomer gave to Aragorn and Legolas two more horses. Yet Rune was not finished, as he too had a gift to give to Gizzard:

Rune whistled. "Come Thrush!" Answering his call was a mountain bluebird. The bluebird perched on Rune's paw. "He has been my friend for the longest time. Now, I shall pass Thrush onto you." As the mountain bluebird perched on Gizzard's shoulder, Rune told him, "Thrush can find whatever you seek. I do hope you find who you are looking for, yet danger always approaches. Farewell to you." With help, Rune was brought back on the saddle, before the rider than Éothain mounted his saddle.

There they parted ways. The horses of Rohan rode very swift across the plains. Gizzard turned to the mountain bluebird a few minutes later.

"So, you're called Thrush. Do you have a true name, or is it just the name you've stuck with?" asked Gizzard, remembering his conversations with Clockwise.

"For now you can call me Thrush," said the mountain bluebird. That was all Gizzard could get out of the bird. Excited, the bluebird said, "So, where should we start to look for your companions?"

"We're following the orc-trail," said Aragorn.

"And hopefully before night passes again," said Legolas.

"We cannot be sure of that, Legolas," said Aragorn.

"Gizzard, you can ride with me," said Boromir, picking up the black cat.

"I'll fly on and meet you at the point where the Riders had left," said Thrush, flying away chirping.

* * *

Aragorn was careful when riding not over override the footprints. The Four Hunters continued riding well into the afternoon, when they found the sight of the battle-field. To Gizzard's surprise, by the time they found Thrush perching on the ground near a mound where fifteen spears were planted, there were scores of anvils, twice the amount seen elsewhere in Rohan. Merry, Pippin, and Clockwise were nowhere to be seen, nor was there any trace of them. Thrush chirped as Boromir dismounted, helping Gizzard down from the saddle. Gizzard approached the mountain bluebird swiftly, concern growing on his face.

As Thrush bounded his way towards the black cat, he said, bluntly, "Maybe you'll find something of Clockwise's here."

The black cat scanned the mound, but shook his head. "No. If Clockwise was here, his pendant would be found. It's not."

"Do you think he's dead?" asked Thrush, concerned.

As Gizzard looked on at the Four Hunters, who decided to stay against Gimli's wishes, the black cat told the mountain bluebird, "I'm sure Clockwise is alive. We stay here until Aragorn says otherwise."

Instead, it was decided to make a camp a little way beyond the battle-field. A campfire was built, which pleased Gizzard. As the companions slept, they caught a glimpse of an old man and a brown cat. Gizzard awoke upon hearing a twig snap. He felt sure the brown cat was the Tonkinese cat everyone had spoken. Legolas was the first to see the horses were gone, whinnying and neighing in the distance. When the old man disappeared Legolas believed him to be Saruman. As the night passed slowly six companions stood watch, but nothing happen. The old man and the Tonkinese cat did not return, nor did the horses.


	5. Chapter 3: The Water Puddles

This chapter follows _Chapter III: The Uruk-hai_, from Book Three or Part One of _The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers_. Here where the water puddle gag begins. The water puddle gag was inspired by Mike Baxter's vlogs, from the ABC television show "Last Man Standing".

* * *

**Chapter Three:**

**The Water Puddles**

In a muddled haze, Clockwise's thoughts sorted themselves out. He remembered searching for Frodo, but also losing track of Gizzard. He remembered helping Merry and Pippin, seeing Boromir fight, but nothing further. Somehow, he recalled being knocked out and stolen away… Merry and Pippin! Were they all right? He couldn't tell.

Then his vision became clear. He was in rest, as were the two hobbits. So Merry and Pippin survived the battle, as did he. Clockwise wasn't sure of Gizzard's fate or that of the others. He hoped they were fine and coming after him. He had his doubts about Gizzard and whether the black cat truly cared about him. He knew he had been nothing but a nuisance to the poor cat…

Clockwise's thoughts were disturbed when the ground shifted. While the Orcs were distracted in another of their brawls, Clockwise stared at the ground before him. Water seemed to be flowing on top of the grass, forming a small puddle. From the puddle were instructions, written clearly in this form: **Use these water puddles to say whatever you like, as a diary or a blog. These can be useful to vent, but you must say these thoughts aloud. If you have to speak by thought, do so and the words will be saved in these puddles as a form of video. Have fun! – Teresa** The words blinked on and off, sometimes in red, in gold, and even in black.

So, the other side was back. Clockwise recognized the name of the girl, his master from outside the story; was it possible she was helping him, instead of Mortar's master, who wasn't very helpful. Still, the water puddle's message confused the red macaw. Should he answer or simply leave it alone? While it did seem a good idea to vent, he wondered if this was the right time to use it.

Clockwise asked, aloud, "You want me to talk to a water puddle?" He paused. "What am I supposed to say?"

"Keep quiet, bird!" demanded one of the Orcs, snapping his whip on the ground. The sound of the whip made Clockwise jump in fright. While he tried to fly, the cords that bound his legs forced him to the ground. The Orcs laughed until the Uruk leader silenced them. They returned to their conversation.

While the Uruk-hai leader was getting everyone in control, Clockwise turned to the water puddle. The second he said something, puddle's message vanished. Every time he paused, the message would return. Thinking the puddle could prove useful, the red macaw waited until the Orcs ignored him before whispering to the water puddle this message:

"Day 175… or whatever day this is. My hobbit friends, Merry and Pippin, and me have been captured by Orcs. I'm not sure what fate could befall my companions and me, but it doesn't look promising. The Orcs keep telling us we're heading for Isengard… or should I call it Isengrim? The hobbits will be all right, at least, but I feel like I'm about to be lunch for the Uruks. They keep talking about 'fresh meat', which is not a good sign. Did they ever hear of fast food? Wait, that must mean me…" Clockwise was stopped when the Orcs prepared to set out.

After the Isengarders slew two Orcs, Clockwise turned to Pippin, who managed to cut his cord. Clockwise cooed in excitement, only too late for the Orcs looked at him as though he was a snack; it was just as Clockwise predicted.

"You're next, birdy!" called a second Orc, blade in hand.

Clockwise gulped. As the Orcs set out, carrying Merry and Pippin on their backs, one of the Orcs grabbed the red macaw, holding him tight in his grasp. Clockwise cawed in a choking manner; the second the whip was cast, Clockwise was freed from the Orc's grasp. However, he was held back by the rope that secured his bonds, forcing him to follow the other Orcs at a rapid pace.

Clockwise hardly knew what time or day it was when he, like Merry and Pippin, were forced to the stone floor once again. He hardly watched as the two hobbits were tortured by the Orcs, before they were given some orc-liquor. The Orcs did the same to Clockwise, who sputtered upon tasting the vile drink. Clockwise flew straight to Merry and Pippin. The two hobbits looked pleased to see him.

"Clockwise, you're a sight for sore eyes," said Merry, who had a brown scar on his forehead.

"How long it has been," said Pippin, relieved.

"I was just on my way…" Clockwise was stopped once more by an Orc named Uglúk, who quieted the three companions. He was forced to keep up with the Orcs, as they moved swiftly across the terrain. Somehow, the orc-liquor healed him in an orc-fashion.

As they traveled, Clockwise looked to the side in time to see Pippin unclasp his brooch from his cloak, before letting it fall to the ground. Clockwise murmured to himself, "That's good. Then Aragorn and the others can find it." Deciding to help, every now and again, the red macaw would land on the ground and set deep tracks. He was certain the others would see the tracks and know he was alive too. So far, the plan was sound, but he had no idea what would befall him or the two hobbits.

* * *

Clockwise, like his companions, could not remember much of the later part of their journey. The red macaw did remember feeling famished. The orc-liquor had long been out of his system, causing a feeling of sickness to occur. Still, the Orcs didn't care what happened to him. They were more concerned about keeping the hobbits alive. Clockwise was given stale grey bread, another draught, and raw dried fresh, same as his companions. Knowing his limits, Clockwise knew he couldn't eat the meat, but ate the bread in a ravenous manner.

The red macaw was there to see the sunlight. The Orcs shouted and debated at once. Ignoring them, Clockwise saw another water puddle fill an area. He gulped down some of the water, before the water puddle returned a new message to him: **Drink as much as you can handle. Then say your message.** The words vanished, leaving him in a befuddlement. Only this time, when he spoke, the words formed on the puddle as well as a small image of himself in one corner:

"I forget what day this is… oh." Clockwise started again: "How has this day been going? Rotten, as usual. I haven't had much food to eat since I've been around these Orcs. Worse, have you smelled them? They smell like… like… eck. I can't believe I'm stuck listening to them ranting on what is 'fresh meat' and what is bad food. Really, if these Orcs needed respect, why didn't they just join a circus? I mean, come on. The last thing we need to hear is a ranting Orc sounding like a whining cat. Why don't they stop talking and just go eat a dead rat or something? Did these Orcs ever finish finishing school? For crying out loud." He stopped before he thought of worse things to insult the Orcs. Lucky for him, the Orcs didn't hear his whispered ranting. He stopped before he got ahead of himself.

* * *

Once again, the Orcs dragged Merry, Pippin, and Clockwise across the plains of Rohan. Clockwise reckoned it must have been two days since he last saw Gizzard. That's when Clockwise saw, at the same time as Merry and Pippin, riders galloping towards the Orcs. The riders breached on the Orcs, making sure they didn't scatter. Anvils bombarded on the Orcs as they fell from the sky, twice the amount seen at Amon Hen. Clockwise had seen anvils during their flight on the plains hit the Orcs, killing them instantly. He knew then the anvils were there to help him and his friends. The Orc that held him was struck by an anvil. The grip was released, setting Clockwise free. On the ground, Clockwise worked on freeing his bonds. Pippin came to help but was dragged away by an Orc.

The Orcs gathered, stopping to build a camp. Only this time Clockwise was next to Merry and Pippin. The Orcs eventually went with Uglúk to stop the riders, but were pelted by anvils, both large and small. Clockwise had his talk with Merry and Pippin, while this was occurring:

"I've found a brilliant way to vent my emotions," said Clockwise, growing excited.

"Go on," said Merry, interested.

Clockwise told his findings to the two hobbits. "Well, there have been these water puddles and if I get my words, I could start a whole gag reel."

The three companions were stopped by the conversation, when an Orc named Grishnákh arrived. Grishnákh groped and searched for something. Clockwise stayed quiet as Merry and Pippin played their diversion. Clockwise went along with the diversion until the Orc gripped at his bronze pendant. The red macaw cawed in desperation. Merry managed to say in Clockwise's defense:

"I wouldn't do that, if I were you," said Merry.

"And why wouldn't I? This little bauble the bird doesn't need. Where did he get it?" asked Grishnákh, about to seize the pendant away from Clockwise.

"The pendant stays with the bird," said Pippin.

"Why?" asked the Orc, confused.

"Why indeed. This pendant is the only way to keep this bird alive and singing. If you remove that pendant, the bird is useless," said Pippin, recovering.

"Is that so?" The Orc thought better of it, and then charged on Merry and Pippin.

Clockwise sighed in relief. As Grishnákh spoke of the Ring, Pippin made a noise in his throat: _gollum_, _gollum_. Playing along, Merry asked the Orc what he wanted. Before Clockwise could do anything, he was shushed by Merry. After much hissing, Grishnákh carried both hobbits away from the sight. Clockwise followed, flying in the air. His legs pained him and he toppled over a couple of times. By the time he caught up to Merry and Pippin, the red macaw was spotted by a rider.

Clockwise cried, "No, don't shoot! I won't harm you!" The rider looked at him, before galloping away.

However, Grishnákh roused the Orcs. As the Riders closed in, Clockwise searched for Merry and Pippin. He managed to find the two, the second he noticed what seemed to be a grey stone move. At that, Pippin slipped the cords off and found the _lembas_ cakes. Merry and Pippin each ate two to three pieces, giving some to Clockwise to enjoy. For a while they sat, heedless of the cries and sounds of battle nearby. Clockwise became aware of the sounds of anvils, but eventually stopped worrying about them. Finding a knife from the body of a goblin, Pippin quickly cut their bonds.

Clockwise found it difficult to move on foot, so he flew ahead of the hobbits. Merry and Pippin could only crawl at the time. They reached the river in time, only to look back and hear the sounds of battle die away. The Riders went back to their silent vigil. The night was growing old and already Clockwise felt some of his strength renewed. Approaching the river, Clockwise saw on the surface another message appear, telling him this: **Do not be afraid. It's all right to say how you feel. Drink and you will feel better. Then report your happenings.** The message vanished.

"Did you see that?" asked Clockwise, growing excited.

"See what, Clockwise? I see the river," said Merry.

Clockwise heard Merry and Pippin talk about being seen and searching for cover; that was also when he assumed the two hobbits did not have a clue what he was talking about. He murmured to the river, watching the words he said form on the rippling surface:

"Another night has come and gone. My fellow hobbits and myself have escaped the clutches of the evil Orcs. One thing's for sure: those Orcs were worse than my parents, bless their souls. Well, you can't expect Orcs to be kind fellows or else their brutality would be in a 90 percent capacity bandwagon… I think that may be the same as their temper…" Clockwise looked back the second he saw Merry and Pippin head for the woods. Clockwise turned to the river last, "I better see what's happening." Flying towards the two hobbits, Clockwise cried, "Hey, wait for me!"

"Shush! We don't want to be spotted," said Merry, desperate.

"Right. Sorry," whispered Clockwise.

When they were near the forest's edge, Merry, Pippin, and Clockwise witnessed the Dawn starting to rise. The two hobbits went off into the woods, while Clockwise stayed briefly to witness the final blow of Uglúk, who was slain by none other than Éomer, Third Marshal of the Mark. The red macaw followed his companions in moments, catching up to them soon after.


	6. Interlude 1: Caught!

**Interlude One:**

**Caught!**

_This is interesting_, I thought as I watched "The Two Towers" film.

Of course it was interesting. It was only the fiftieth time I'd watch the movie. Still, I noticed something different about the movie. I noticed a red macaw following Merry and Pippin in the forests of Fangorn, and a black cat with the Three Hunters. Boromir wasn't with Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli; so, I'd assume that hadn't changed in the movie… wait a minute. Why was the movie changing? I heard that "The Fellowship of the Ring" had been messed with and a lot of people complained about it, but that hadn't happened to my DVD.

So, why was this happening to "The Two Towers" and only the "The Two Towers"? That made no sense. In all the times I watched the movie, I hadn't seen that change until now. At least the parts where Frodo and Sam were journeying towards Mordor were the same… or so I assumed and believed at the time.

It wasn't long until Jessica showed up, asking me about the changes in the movie. Jessica burst into my bedroom, asking, "Hey Teresa, did you notice something odd about 'The Two Towers' book and movie?"

"Maybe," I said, not keen on answering any further questions about the same subject.

Only Jessica wouldn't let the discussion go. She said, in a canny voice, "Really, because it so happens the books and movies are changing, again. Even Erita saw the change when she…"

"When she what?" I asked, confused. I hadn't heard her talk about what Erita had done. Somehow, I thought I had gotten the picture. "Jessica, you don't have to tell me what Erita did."

"Smart girl, but I am not finished," said Jessica. Here comes the spiel. "Well, Erita basically started this thing where she was dropping objects into 'The Fellowship of the Ring' book. Suddenly, everyone knows something has changed about the first book and is talking about it like mad. Only no one knew it was Erita."

Suddenly I felt guilty. I wondered if Jessica suspected me.

Jessica continued. "Teresa, if you know anything about this…"

"Gee, I wouldn't know," I said, only too late.

"You are hiding something," said Jessica. "Tell me."

"Maybe later," I said, hoping she would get the hint and leave me alone.

Somehow it worked, but it left me panicked. Jessica told me as she left my room, "Okay. We'll talk later." She slammed the door, causing me to close my eyes for a few seconds.

This had me worried. How much did Jessica suspect? Was it possible she already guessed I had anything to do with the changes in _The Two Towers_ book?

Taking my mind off of my sister, I paused the movie and pulled out the book. As I flipped through the third chapter of _The Two Towers_, I noticed the part where Clockwise said my name.

"Does he know about me?" I asked, murmuring the question.

Of course it did seem farfetched how my bird knew my presence… wait a minute! What was I saying? However, I had to think of something drastic. So, I did exactly the opposite of what I intended, which was to mess with the characters. I did hope I wasn't turning into Jessica or Erita, who was a Legolas fan.

I whispered to the book: "Make Treebeard talk about the many birds living in Fangorn." I covered my mouth after I said it.

Somehow it worked, as more dialogue for Treebeard fell into place. I knew the fourth chapter was long, but by pulling this stunt, I only made the chapter longer. Hoping to distract the characters away from me, I told the second book next: "Allow a talking stick to talk to Merry, Pippin, and Treebeard." While this was successful, I noticed Clockwise was being ignored. "Allow the same talking stick to talk to Clockwise." That fixed the problem, changing the dialogue and fitting in more paragraphs.

What surprised me about this chapter was the female blue macaw that showed up. I found it strange that Clockwise knew this blue macaw. What else did these animals know that I didn't? Somehow, I had a feeling I was about to find out.

I decided to add in one more piece to the chapter: "Allow the birds, all of them, from the Pixar Short Film 'For the Birds' make an entrance in Fangorn."

Just as I did this, someone knocked on the door.

I merely said, casually, "Come in."

The door opened to reveal, much to my regret, Jessica. She spoke, suspicious of me more so than earlier, "Teresa, I know something is going on. The movies keep changing, the second book keeps changing as well." She asked, concerned, "Did you have something to do with this?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." That did it. I was caught.

Jessica asked, "What do you know? Teresa, tell me."

What could I do? Being put under the spotlight was not something I enjoyed. I answered her, guiltily, "I may have dropped some items into Erita's 'Two Towers' book. I didn't know the books were jinxed."

Strangely, there was silence. Jessica left my room, closing the door behind her. Minutes later I heard another door close. To my surprise, I heard Jessica scream. That set my mother off, who went upstairs to check on Jessica. Then my door opened to reveal my mother.

"Teresa, are you okay? You've been in your room for a long time," said my mother, concerned.

"I'm fine. I'm just reading," I said, which was partially true.

My mother nodded. "I hope Jessica isn't giving you too much trouble."

I shook her head. I could only stand being asked so many questions. "She hasn't."

"Okay, but do come out of your room. You need some fresh air," said my mother.

"I'll be fine. Really," I said, hoping the conversation would end.

"Okay," said my mother. She closed my bedroom door a moment later.

Although I was relieved, guilt still clouded me. Jessica knew now what I was up to. I wasn't sure where this would lead, but my mind began to think of the worst-case scenarios, such as Jessica telling Erita about it and Erita telling me to bring her books back to her. I didn't want to stop, but neither was I in the mood to mess with the characters. I had to do something.

I told the book next: "Give the characters, and the animals, stuff that pleases them." I felt better, slightly better, after saying this command.

The book did its work and added more dialogue and paragraphs. I knew I would get caught for this, but at least I did what I did. I'm not the type of girl that gets herself into trouble. But doing this did feel wrong inside. Now I only hoped the characters wouldn't catch on, knowing it was me this time that was doing this, instead of someone else. I suspected Erita did this to _The Fellowship of the Ring_. I wondered if it was true.


	7. Chapter 4: Fangorn Forest

This chapter follows _Chapter IV: Treebeard_, from Book Three or Part One of _The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers_. The idea about stuff pleasing all characters was given to me by EM98. The baby birds and the large bird came from Pixar's short film "For the Birds". Also, the talking stick makes a re-entry in this chapter. The talking stick idea was given to me by ValueMyHeart.

* * *

**Chapter Four:**

**Fangorn Forest**

Merry, Pippin, and Clockwise followed the stream for a while, entering deeper into Fangorn. Eventually they slackened and drank some water. Clockwise looked about him with newfound interest; he noticed how stifling the air was. As Merry and Pippin talked about the forest, Clockwise thought he heard a caw here and there. Then there was silence.

Clockwise shook his head. _Must be hearing things_, he thought.

The three pressed on for a time. They eventually stopped at a large log, which showed two distinct paths to take: one leading upwards and another leading downwards. Perched on the log were many grey-feathered baby birds. The baby birds did not look happy, and some were sleeping. A few of the baby birds awoke their comrades.

"Maybe they're friendly," said Pippin.

Merry shook his head. "I doubt it, Pippin."

Clockwise flew in front of the two hobbits. He told the baby birds, aloud, "Excuse me. Hello, baby birds. We would like to move on. So, can you tell us which way we should go?"

The baby birds looked at Clockwise with sleepy eyes. Then one of the baby birds made an impression of Clockwise. The other baby birds laughed in high-pitched squeaks, before making other impressions of the red macaw. Clockwise took a minute before he understood what the baby birds were doing.

He said, fuming, "Hey, this isn't funny! We're on a very serious trip, and you birds are not helping… oh." He looked, awed, at the newcomer bird.

The newcomer was a big, long-necked blue bird. The bigger bird found a place to perch in the center of the log, forcing the baby birds to move to either the left or the right. The baby birds chirped in delight before making fun of him. The bigger bird merely cawed aimlessly. Just as Clockwise was about to talk to Merry and Pippin, he saw in the distance what appeared to be a feminine blue macaw. The blue macaw peered once at him, before flying away. Clockwise was about to follow the blue macaw until Merry called him:

"Clockwise, what did you see?"

Clockwise shook his head in disbelief. The blue macaw had vanished. The red macaw returned to the two hobbits, but not before perching on the log to the left of the baby birds. Now squished together, the baby birds formulated a plan to get rid of the bigger bird and Clockwise. The baby birds pushed and shoved, but the bigger bird paid no attention, while Clockwise was too befuddled by his own thoughts to notice. Only when one of the baby birds pecked the bigger bird's yellow foot did they get an idea. The baby birds began pecking at both Clockwise's feet and the bigger bird's feet. Getting the hint, Clockwise shoved the baby birds, forcing them to domino each other. The bigger bird flew away as the baby birds fell off from the log. Clockwise, pleased with payback, flew back to Merry and Pippin.

Clockwise asked, delighted, "So, when can we move on?"

"I guess we take the higher road," said Merry.

"I agree," said Pippin.

Clockwise said, flying to catch up to the two hobbits, "Did you see me? Being picked on by those baby birds? They needed a lesson in manners." The last baby bird toppled over the log, lost in his own world.

o-o-o

The three continued their journey into the forest. As they did, Merry and Pippin, and even Clockwise, noticed the ground rose steeply and became increasingly stony. Before the stone wall was a stair: natural and made of weathering rock. Higher up was a stone cliff and a tree with only two bent branches, which looked almost like the figure of some gnarled old man, standing and blinking in the morning light.

As Merry, Pippin, and Clockwise observed and commented about the view, the tree came to life. Clockwise flew off his perch as he stared at the tree, startled.

"It talked!" cried Clockwise.

"_Hrum_, _Hoom_. Of course I can talk, little bird," said the strange voice coming from the tree.

Clockwise and the two hobbits soon found the tree was an Ent named _Fangorn_, but mostly went by _Treebeard_. As he began naming off the list of the folk he had seen, Treebeard did not recall ever meeting a hobbit or a macaw. Treebeard added the hobbits to his list, but continued naming off as many birds as he could.

"All right, stop. I think that's enough birds you've described," said Clockwise. As he said those words, Treebeard stopped and, appearing confused, finished his list.

Merry and Pippin gladly introduced themselves, as did Clockwise. Seeing the confused expression on Treebeard's face, Clockwise said, "Why not add this to your list of birds: _Macaws of shades; red, blue, and green_…"

Treebeard said, "Hm! Not bad either. Although, I have never heard of a macaw…" Then he recovered, "but it comes to mind I may have heard of your species before. Yes! There is a blue macaw that traverses through Fangorn. She has been living well drinking the waters of Fangorn and living off whatever insects can be found."

"Begging your pardon, but who is this blue macaw?" asked Clockwise, curious.

As Clockwise perched on Treebeard, who offered to give Merry, Pippin, and Clockwise drink from his home, a female blue macaw perched on the Ent. Clockwise looked worried, but then asked the blue macaw:

"Excuse me, Ma'am, are you the macaw that's been staying in Fangorn?" asked Clockwise. The blue macaw looked much taller than he.

The blue macaw merely said, "Yes, that's me. I've been staying in Fangorn waiting for my husband to find me. He doesn't know I'm here, or else he would have seen me before."

Clockwise said, saddened, "Oh. I see." He asked her, as Treebeard moved, taking Merry and Pippin in each root hand, "And what is the name of the macaw?"

"His name is Reyes, and he was a good macaw," said the blue macaw.

"Reyes? Reyes? Why does that name sound familiar?" Clockwise thought for a while. Then it struck him. He asked the blue macaw another question. "And what is your name, if introductions must be said?"

"I am Rosalina, and I came here due to that Tonkinese cat. He said I would meet with my husband Reyes, but he hasn't shown up yet," said Rosalina.

"I recognize the name Reyes. My name is Clockwise, though," said Clockwise.

Rosalina shook her head. "What an odd name for a macaw. Surely, I've heard better."

"You have?" asked Clockwise, wondering how long it would take for Rosalina to get the hint.

"Certainly. Many a bird would choose names that suit their physique. It's only proper that bird should have a proper name, without which…"

Clockwise's thought drifted off as Rosalina babbled on about proper usage of bird names. When he remembered Rosalina, Clockwise's memories returned to him in a flurry. He held his wings to his head as the images came back all at once. He felt like he was Reyes again. Then he fell to the forest floor and remembered nothing afterwards.

o-o-o

"Clockwise… Clockwise!" cried Merry.

Clockwise's vision returned as he awoke. Merry and Pippin were lying on the ground, staring at him, as was Rosalina and Treebeard, who kept a short distance away from the trio. Clockwise sat up slowly, regaining himself.

"What happened?" asked Clockwise, shaking himself off.

"We thought you dead," said Pippin. "You fell a good story down."

"Was it something I did?" asked Rosalina, concerned.

Perplexed, Clockwise told her, "You remember when we had those eggs. We were about to have little baby macaws. I would have been a father that day."

"What's he talking about?" asked Merry, confused.

Rosalina, overjoyed, flung Clockwise around in circles. "You remember! You remember you're Reyes!"

Clockwise, once he was set down, said, "Yes, I remember. I remember everything. I thought you were dead." When he didn't get a response from Rosalina, Clockwise asked, "Rosalina, is something wrong?"

"You thought me dead?" asked Rosalina.

"Well, I didn't know what else to do during your absence. I had to assume the worst…"

Clockwise flew through the forest as Rosalina darted to catch up to him. Rosalina spouted various words to him. Clockwise knew she was furious. Merry and Pippin, now relieved, were carried by Treebeard to his home.

* * *

Treebeard spoke long about Ents and Elvish people to Merry and Pippin. Soon they came to Treebeard's home, where the Entwash stood. Below that were trees and an open area, forming a glen. The place, Treebeard told Merry and Pippin, was called Wellinghall. After Treebeard set Merry and Pippin down, the two hobbits spoke to Treebeard about their adventures. Treebeard, when given the chance thanks to Merry spoke of Saruman and the Men of Rohan being neighbors to Fangorn.

Clockwise, after much consideration, allowed Rosalina the chance to vent. She then led Clockwise straight to Wellinghall, where Merry and Pippin were listening to Treebeard tell a long and sad story about the Entwives. While Rosalina is distracted, Clockwise finds at a stream another message, specifically for him: **Vent all you want. It's not like anyone will notice.** The message vanished.

Clockwise spoke at the stream, noticing his words form on the water's surface. "Well, my friends and I have spent the day in Fangorn Forest. So far, not a sight or sound of other birds. Speaking of birds, my wife has returned after a long-winded absence. You realize she's a delicate flower. You say something wrong and she'll wilt, or explode in my face whenever something idiotic is done. But let's think about it. Men are the hunters, the lean tough machines that can do anything we set our minds to. Women are the pack animals, doing all the multi-tasking that men cannot keep up on. It only takes a matter of time before the weight gets to her. So men, in case you want to be smart-aleck, let's think of how the wife will take you once she knows how sluggish you've become. Men want to see action, be the life of the party. Women… well, what's there to say about women…" He thought for a moment, and then recovered. "I don't think she'll like this. I should probably stop talking now." He flew away from the stream as the water returned to its natural state.

Rosalina asked Clockwise, as soon as the macaw joined her. "What were you doing over there? It sounded like you were talking to yourself, but insulting me."

Clockwise chuckled guiltily, "At least I put a stop to it."

"Women are delicate flowers, Reyes?" asked Rosalina. "Yes, well in certain situations, we are like ticking time bombs."

Clockwise chuckled again, feeling embarrassed.

Once Treebeard finished his long story about the Entwives, he moved into a standing position to sleep. Merry and Pippin lied down on the moss-covered beds. Clockwise found a place to perch on one of the tree's branches. Rosalina chose to sleep on the ground, but was surprised that Clockwise didn't join her. She shook her head when she discovered Clockwise's sleeping spot.

* * *

When they awoke, Clockwise flew back to the others. To their surprise and delight, Merry and Pippin found in their pack the elf-cake and some bread. Clockwise and Rosalina were also delighted, as they found many berry bushes. Clockwise was surprised when Rosalina told him that it had been so long since she ate berries. As they ate, Treebeard spoke about his lovely dream of meeting the Entwives again. He didn't want the dream to end, but knew somewhere inside that it did. After the four drank and ate, Treebeard drinking freely from the Entwash, they set out for Entmoot which was away to the south. Eventually, Treebeard allowed Merry and Pippin to sit on his shoulders as he took 'ent-strides', which Pippin soon lost count.

Clockwise and Rosalina spoke long about their separate adventures. Rosalina began her tale first, which Clockwise listened to intently. When it was Clockwise's turn, he surprised Rosalina, as well as Merry and Pippin, about his adventures with Bilbo Baggins. Clockwise then brought up the adventures he had with the hobbits, Ranger, and the Fellowship. When Clockwise finished his tale, they had arrived at Entmoot.

Several Ents were already present, with more coming. Once the whole company was assembled, standing in wide circle around Treebeard, the Ents began to speak in an unintelligible conversation. Merry and Pippin quickly became bored, not understanding what the Ents were saying. Clockwise nearly fell asleep, but quickly awoke as he fluttered back to his perch. As Treebeard told Merry and Pippin, as well as Clockwise, they weren't Orcs or Enemies, he set the two hobbits down.

Merry and Pippin looked around the Derndingle with great interest, while the Ents spoke to each other in an 'unhasty' language. It was there Merry and Pippin met Quickbeam, who was hasty for an Ent. Clockwise and Rosalina, while exploring the dingle, saw more berry bushes, ripe with fresh berries. As Merry and Pippin followed the two macaws, they noticed a stone table set out with all sorts of food. Merry stopped Pippin with one hand.

"It might be a trick," said Merry.

"Oh nonsense," said Rosalina.

"No, Merry has a point. I mean, who would be willing to give us food," said Pippin. "There's no one else around."

"Still, I mean we are starving. I haven't had food in a long time. I'm gorging down," said Rosalina, desperate. She flew fast towards a berry bush and gobbled down some berries.

"Gee Rosalina, now you're acting like me. Or, at least, when I was my goofy self," said Clockwise.

Rosalina said through bites, "Oh Reyes, you still have that serious streak in you somewhere."

Merry and Pippin hesitated before approaching the food. Quickbeam observed the four as they chomped down on the food. He was surprised at them, but soon joined them near the stone table. The four were pleased by the food, wondering if it was a gift sent by the Valar. Clockwise and Rosalina understood, but said nothing about the Higher Powers. As Rosalina hopped across the stone table, she noticed a lone wooden stick with strange elvish markings on it. Just as Rosalina touched the stick with a wing, the stick said:

"Hey, you watch it there, birdy," said the stick.

Rosalina flew back to Clockwise, moving behind him, "That stick talks."

Quickbeam answered, "Yes, that particular stick has been a nuisance. But it's not the last of its kind. Word has it there's sticks spread throughout Middle-earth. All different, too."

As Merry touched the stick, fascinated with it, he said, "We saw Elrond had a stick in Rivendell. He said it talked, too."

"Hey, don't touch me, you worthless git!" said the stick, sharply. "Do you want a piece of me? Oh ho! You'll never beat the stick! No, you won't! I'll sock you so hard you wish you'd never met the likes of me! Yah hah!" The stick continued to spout insults at them.

Rosalina shook her head. "Let's just leave it alone. Maybe it'll shut up."

The stick spouted more insults at them. Merry, Pippin, Clockwise, and Rosalina ate their grand meal in silence. Once they were full, Quickbeam picked up Merry and Pippin with his long-fingered hands. Clockwise and Rosalina flew across Fangorn, following the Ent all the way to his house. By that time it was nightfall. Before they reached the ent-house, Clockwise and Rosalina spotted another stick with elvish markings. They knew then it was a talking stick.

"Excuse me, are you a talking stick?" asked Rosalina.

"I might be," said the stick, with a higher-pitched stuffy voice. "What's the asking for?"

"I don't normally talk to sticks," said Rosalina.

"That's nothing, compared to your ruffled feathers," said the stick.

Appalled, Rosalina said, "My feathers are _not_ ruffled." She then turned to Clockwise, "Reyes, are my feathers ruffled?"

"Maybe we should ask the stick another question," said Clockwise.

"Knock knock," said the stick.

"Whose there?" asked Clockwise, seeing this was getting nowhere.

"Trees," said the stick.

"Trees who?" asked Clockwise, annoyed.

"Hey, how many trees do you see? Ha!" said the stick.

"Let's go, Rosalina," said Clockwise, fed up.

"Maybe we could give the stick something to look forward to, in case there's another rainy day," said Rosalina.

"That would be cheerful. Yeah, let's entreat a talking stick with something worthy of value," said Clockwise, sarcastically. "Come on, Rosalina. The others are falling asleep." He flew away from the sight into the ent-house. Rosalina flew in after him.

The two macaws saw the two hobbits talking to Quickbeam. As Clockwise and Rosalina perched on a rock, they heard Quickbeam sing. This sent Merry and Pippin to sleep, as well as Clockwise and Rosalina. Rosalina looked once as she saw Clockwise fall clumsily off the rock. She chuckled when she saw Clockwise had not woken up after the fall. As Quickbeam's singing continued, Rosalina found herself falling asleep as well.

* * *

All the next day, the two hobbits and two macaws stayed near Quickbeam's 'house'. Most of the time was spent in silence. Still the Ents at the Moot continued speaking in high and low voices. Throughout that second day, Clockwise continued to speak and vent into the water puddles that came and went. He hoped he wasn't caught by doing this, but there were times when he felt he was being watched. Still, he continued his rants.

"Clockwise here. Life can be bliss in a forest. Oh yeah, especially when you're just waiting for something big to explode or watch the trees come to life right before your eyes. But that's not what's on my mind for today. No, today I'll be exploring friendship. Just what is the meaning of friendship? Well, it could be your best buddy went hiking for two long days and ended up on a road next door to Santa Claus. No, what friendship really means is waiting to see when your best buddy will return and greet you with a warm bath. However, that's not the case. You see, today we've been waiting, and waiting, for Treebeard and the other Ents to finish at the Moot. Man, it's taking forever… I wish Gizzard were here. He was the greatest friend a macaw could have."

Rosalina told him, "You really miss that cat, don't you Reyes?"

Clockwise looked away from the water puddle. Facing his wife, Clockwise said, "He was my friend. I couldn't let him down."

* * *

By the third day, the five saw a sight. The Ents were traveling in a marching line, with Treebeard at its head. Amazed, Clockwise and Rosalina watched as Treebeard set the hobbits on his shoulders. As Quickbeam joined the line, which were traveling to Isengard, Clockwise and Rosalina flew until Quickbeam slung them each on his shoulders. The Ents took long strides, and as Pippin looked back he saw the number of Ents had grown. After a while, the Ents drew near the crest of a ridge and stopped: before them stood the summit which looked down into a dark pit, for at the great cleft at the end of the mountains was Nan Curunír, the Valley of Saruman. They had made it to Isengard at nightfall.


	8. Interlude 2: The Hidden Base

**Interlude Two:**

**The Hidden Base**

Jessica and I did come to terms, after I explained everything I did to _The Two Towers_ book so far. Jessica, much to my surprise, found it ironic that Erita and I dropped items into the two books: _The Fellowship of the Ring_ and _The Two Towers_. Then Jessica said something that surprised me in the moment:

"Maybe we should drop songs into the second book…"

I stopped her. "No, Jessica. No song-insertions. That would be a horrid mess for the characters to figure out."

Jessica thought for a moment, and then reconsidered. "Fine. Then what did you do so far that drew the characters' attention away from you?"

"I'm dropping anvils on the orcs and Uruk-hai. I also gave my bird Clockwise water puddles to tell his thoughts," I said. Jessica laughed, but I wasn't being funny. "I'm serious, Jessica. I'd rather give my parrot something to look forward to."

Jessica eventually said, "Teresa, you're not doing a good job messing with the characters. Since Frodo isn't in the first part, we can have some fun with the other characters."

"I'm not going to do that," I said, appalled.

"Aren't you already doing it?" asked Jessica, asking a trick question. "Come on, Teresa. Can't you think of something to drop that's funny?"

I thought for a good, long while. When I didn't get an idea, Jessica grabbed the book and told it, right on _Chapter V: The White Rider_: "Bring Flubber into this chapter." It worked and more dialogue and passages appeared, extending the chapter.

I looked around my room and saw on the DVD rack "The Lion King" trilogy. This sparked an idea. Taking the book back, I told it, "Bring the Jeep tour from Timon and Pumbaa's Virtual Safari into this chapter."

"Really Tris?" asked Jessica, not amused. "That's what you came up with."

Another idea struck me. Ignoring Jessica, I told the book: "Bring in a two-sided mirror, showing the truth and flaws of the characters, even the animals stuck there." This worked and already the sixth chapter was filling in with more details.

Jessica shook her head. "Teresa, look, if you want to do this right, you'll have to be more creative." Taking the book away from me again, Jessica told the book: "Bring Flipsie into this chapter."

I didn't know who or what Flipsie was, but the book must have because before my eyes was dialogue and description of the flipping dog. I had to shake my head with this idea, because it didn't seem right to screw with the characters. Jessica, on the other hand, was enjoying it. It was hard picturing her as a Frodo Baggins fan, given how outward she behaved.

Jessica looked at me once, confused, "What? If you want to please an audience, give them something they like."

"I don't know why you thought of putting in that – whatever he is," I said, not amused.

"Hey, at least I watch "Fairly Odd Parents". That's where all the best gags come from," said Jessica, egging me on.

To be honest, I couldn't stand shows like "Fairly Odd Parents". Something about them just didn't feel right.

As I looked at Chapter Six of _The Two Towers_, I noticed something strange in there. It looked as if there was more about the animals' very existence in Middle-earth than I first thought. I remember Algar talk about his brother Silvanus. He seemed to be in that chapter, alongside Gríma Wormtongue. My distracted mind returned to the present when I heard Jessica say:

"What is it? Teresa?" asked Jessica, confused.

"I…" I was cut off by a strange thud coming from outside my bedroom door. My parents went out for the day, so I was stuck in the house with Jessica.

Since it was my bedroom, I opened the door. Out in the hallway were two men wearing dark clothing. They had black cloaks on and what appeared to be black tunics. They carried swords on their belts. I remember from what Jessica told me Erita had seen. Jessica thought Erita was crazy for thinking such thoughts. Then again, so did I. The two men waited in the hallway. Even as I approached them, the two men leaned against the wooden railing by the stairs. They didn't look like they were stealing, but it couldn't hurt to find out what they were doing in my parents' house.

"May I help you?" I asked, timid.

"I heard you and this girl, Erita Rashkin, had dealings with jinxed books," said the man on the right.

"Maybe," I said. I wanted to say "How did you know?" but I avoided the question.

"Right, you and your friend need to come with us," said the man on the left.

"I'm her sister," said Jessica, defending us.

The man on the left grabbed Jessica's arm. I ran back inside the bedroom for the books, but the man on the right beat me to them. He grabbed all three books, before carrying me out of the bedroom. Jessica and I struggled, but the two men refused to let us go. One of the men holding Jessica's arm pulled out a silver pen. He clicked it, causing the air to suddenly turn stuffy. I looked on and saw, right before my eyes, what appeared to be a wavy shield.

I asked, "What is that?"

"Home," said the man carrying me.

The two men pushed and shoved Jessica forward. I was carried through the shield. On the other side of the shield, it didn't appear to be the house anymore. After I was set down and one of the men that carried the pen clicked it, sending the shield down, I looked around at my surroundings. Jessica and I were inside what appeared to be a warehouse. There were several office areas and one diner.

As Jessica and I looked around, we noticed that most of the people were wearing all dark clothes. A few wore grey and white robes, while others wore semi-modern clothing. It looked to be some sort of a base, only larger. The two men led us into a diner. There we saw Erita Rashkin. I waved to Erita, moments before she was pulled out of the room. Jessica and I took a seat at one of the empty tables.

"They took Erita's books," I pouted.

"Why am I not surprised? I knew we would get into trouble," said Jessica.

"Where do you think we are?" I asked.

"With luck, we're in a high-security building run by the government," said Jessica.

Touching. This made me nervous. Surely the government didn't know anything about this building. It seemed obvious from the way people were dressed. No, it must have been some security area for a secret society. The only question is what is their secret.

A woman wearing dark clothing called my sister and I. "The captain will speak with you now."

"Captain?" Jessica and I murmured.

We passed Erita on our way out of the diner. Jessica and I followed the woman down a long narrow stretch. We entered what appeared to be an office setting. There were pictures and lots of hardbound books inside two bookshelves. The man sitting at the wooden desk also had dark clothing, yet he looked regal. He had a graying mustache and cropped dark hair that was also graying.

"Sit down," said the man.

I sat down after Jessica. The chairs we sat in were cushioned in red, but they were very soft. I immediately felt a sense of welcome. Jessica, on the other hand, looked nervous.

The man sat down his papers. "I trust you know why you have come here. Ever since _The Lord of the Rings _started changing, we've kept watch of the barrier. We could not bear to see it changed. That is why I have taken measures to make sure no one knows what has happened."

"Can I go now?" asked Jessica, trying to worm her way out of the situation. I wasn't surprised.

The man gestured with a hand. "No, please, sit down. This involves you as well." He introduced himself, "My name is Raulin Clarke. I am the author of 'Worlds that May Exist in Histories Long Past', and a good many other books. I've known about the barrier for a long time and how certain objects can connect to those worlds."

"So, the books Erita had were more than jinxed?" I asked, deliberately. I recovered, "Sorry, but it's only a hunch."

"There was a girl that came in here a few minutes ago before yourself. She said her name was Erita Rashkin," said Raulin.

"That's her," I said, wondering where the conversation was headed. "Do you know her?"

Raulin shook his head. "I only know that she owns one of my books and was asking about it." He delved into another subject. "But onto business at hand. You do realize with those books on hand, you cannot leave here until the mess is stopped. Should anything further happen to them and especially to the characters, then we…"

"I'm sorry, sir, but our animals disappeared. We have a suspicion they may have entered the same books," I said, sounding formal.

"Well, in that case, you may want to consider finding a way to get them out of those books," said Raulin.

"We tried that, and it didn't work. Those animals won't leave the story, no matter how many times we shook those books," said Jessica.

Raulin understood. He sighed in regret. "Very well. You will be confined to quarters. I know others have found ways of dropping items into the books, ever since we learned about them. We have tried tracking those people down, but sadly cannot find them."

"You mean we're prisoners?" I asked, worried.

"But won't we go home. I have to think about college and…" Jessica was stopped by Raulin's hand.

Raulin spoke, "I am sorry, but due to the circumstances, you cannot leave, nor can Erita. Since those books belonged to Erita, she can do whatever she wants with them. We're giving them back to her as soon as possible."

"But sir…" This wasn't fair! I hadn't even gotten far into _The Two Towers_. Somehow, Raulin Clarke saw my expression.

"I know, sweetheart, but we must take care that nothing further happens to the books. You never know what can happen here," said Raulin. "My secretary will show you to your rooms."

I got up at the same time as Jessica. After leaving Mr. Clarke's office, Jessica and I were led by Mr. Clarke's secretary down two hallways. We eventually reached a hall of doors, which had on the door the name of the occupant. Erita's room was towards the middle of the hallway. Next to Erita's room was a door that said 'Jessica'. Mine was to the right of Jessica's room.

"Here you go, sweetheart," said the secretary. "Will there be anything you need?"

"No, thank you," I said, opening the door.

The secretary showed me a gold bell, embedded to the wall. "Well, feel free to ring this bell. Someone will come and find you. Dinner is at seven. Enjoy your stay."

After the secretary left, I entered the bedroom. There was only one window overseeing what appeared to be a parking lot and a lot of green countryside. In the room was a full bed. There was one bookcase that had a small number of books. No laptop or desk for it could be found in this room. There was one poster on the wall, across from the bed, that had Frodo Baggins on the front. For a moment, it seemed that the poster was moving. Ignoring this, I checked out the bookcase. No _Lord of the Rings_ books. Not even Erita's books could be found here. This stung. I was so looking forward to reading on and finding out what happened to Gizzard when he entered Fangorn Forest and Edoras.

"Maybe next time. Another day is coming anyway," I said to myself. There had to be hope in light of the situation, but when would that hope come? Something told me I was about to find out.


	9. Chapter 5: Two Surprises

This chapter follows _Chapter V: The White Rider_, from Book Three or Part One of _The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers_. Elements from Timon and Pumbaa's Virtual Safari Jeep Tour, from the DVD on "The Lion King", can be found in this chapter. Also, Flubber came from the movies he starred in. For those who have seen "The 10th Kingdom", what happens to Boromir should remind readers in some way of Tony Lewis' bad luck.

* * *

**Chapter Five:**

**Two Surprises**

At dawn, the search for the Hobbits and Clockwise resumed. Thrush tested the ground, but found little signs of any prints on the ground. He reported back to Gizzard, who looked distressed.

"Anything?" asked Gizzard.

Thrush shook his head.

Gizzard huffed. "Well, there has to be some sign of bird prints. Keep looking."

"I look any further and I shall enter Fangorn Forest," said Thrush.

Boromir asked Gizzard, "Can't you smell the Hobbits and our bird friend?"

"I'm a cat, not a dog. Cats aren't meant to sniff out odors," said Gizzard, serious.

Boromir shrugged. "I just had a thought. Your sense of smell could lead us on the right track." Out of the blue, a large rock clonked Boromir on the head. "Ouch! Look at the size of that rock! The Valar must really not like me."

"That's not surprising. You had it coming after all," said Gizzard.

"Gizzard, maybe we should stop and get some food," said Thrush.

"Where are we going to find food out here, Thrush?" asked Gizzard, confused.

Thrush looked around until he saw two food stands on the borders of the Eaves of Fangorn. The food stands were standing across from each other. One food stand looked like it had all the appropriate food for everyone, while the other looked suspicious.

"What about those food stands?" asked Thrush.

"If the food is free," said Gizzard.

"I'll try the right food stand," said Boromir, looking at the suspicious menu. He read through the list with much suspicion. "Dwarf-cabob? Elven earlobes? Gondorian Man roast? Cat soufflé? Mountain bluebird supreme? Uh… I think it's us on the menu. Oh no."

"Excuse me, would you like to try the Elven earlobes special or the Dwarf-cabob? We have both on the way," said what sounded like a hyena on a speaker.

Growing nervous, Boromir moved away from the food stand as a hyena showed up behind the counter of the pick-up window. The Gondorian man regrouped with the Three Hunters, Gizzard, and Thrush, who were looking at the menu on the left food stand. Thrush flitted about in excitement to the variety of bird seeds listed, while Gizzard looked hungrily at the various meats suited for cats. Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, and Boromir, after recovering from the menu incident on the right food stand, looked in wonder at the foods they could eat.

"I wonder what we pick first to eat," said Aragorn. "It's a miracle that all my favorite foods are on this picture wall."

"It's called a menu, Aragorn. You can order food from someone on a speaker," said Gizzard. When he saw the confused looks of his companions, Gizzard said, "I'll do the orders."

The woman on the speaker said, the moment Gizzard approached the window, "Welcome to the Bug Bar & Grill. May I take your order, please?"

Gizzard, after figuring out his order, said into the speaker, "Yeah, I'll have the cat lover's supreme with catnip on the side and a large bowl of cool water." He turned to the others, "And what would you like?"

Thrush approached the speaker and said, aloud, "I'll have the bird seed spread with a small bowl of cool water… not too cool, mind you." He chuckled at his own joke.

Gizzard looked at the Four Hunters, "What will you four have?"

"You just have to speak through this?" asked Legolas, pointing to the speaker. He saw Gizzard nod. Testing it out, Legolas said, "I'll have the Mirkwood special, but hold the pickles."

Gimli then said, in turn, to the speaker, "I shall have the Dwarven platter with an extra stack of ribs."

Then it was Boromir's turn. "I'll have Gondor's finest."

"Would you like all the berries or just some?" asked the woman on the other end of the speaker.

"Make that two dozen berries," said Boromir.

Aragorn spoke his order last. "I'll have the Ranger's supreme with the ice cream special, two scoops now."

"Make the same for the ice cream," said Gimli, speaking into the speaker.

"Make that three," said Legolas.

"All right, your order will be up. Please pull up to the window ahead of where you stand," said the woman on the other end of the speaker.

"This should be interesting," said Gizzard, snickering at the thought of the ice cream.

"Pull up? What does she mean by it?" asked Gimli.

"I think she meant head up to this window," said Gizzard, already in front of the pick-up window.

When the companions reached the pick-up window, each person or animal received their meals from the two windows. Gizzard and Thrush got their meals from the bottom window, while the Four Hunters received their food and a special drink from the larger window. As they sat down on a few logs to eat their food, they saw hobbit-prints and bird prints entering Fangorn Forest. They were relieved as new hope was restored in their hearts to continue their journey. However, by the time Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli tried their ice cream, they each received a headache. Gizzard chuckled uncontrollably at the sight.

"What's so funny, cat? This strange food gives me – us a headache," said Legolas.

"That's because you're eating it too fast, and it has a lot of sugar," said Gizzard.

"The knowledge this cat knows," said Gimli.

"We should continue our journey after we finish eating," said Aragorn.

"But how will we know when we've found the hobbits?" asked Boromir.

Thrush answered, "Maybe with luck, we'll come across them in the woods. I'm sure you wish to see them as much as Gizzard misses his friend."

Gizzard nodded in agreement. "That'd be true, Thrush. That'd be true."

* * *

For some time, Gizzard, Thrush and the Four Hunters trekked through Fangorn Forest. Aragorn, Gizzard, and Thrush were left to the tracking, when they continued to spot hobbit-prints, bird prints and a second set of bird prints. Gizzard was confused about who the other bird-prints belonged to. Eventually, they stopped at Treebeard's hill when Legolas spotted what appeared to be an old beggar man quickening his pace towards the others. A brown Tonkinese cat followed the old man, which surprised even Gizzard. Just as Legolas lowered his bow and arrow, with Gimli doing the same to his axe, the weariness left the old man, making the group reveal he was Gandalf, but Gandalf in white garbs. The Tonkinese cat, as soon as the Four Hunters spoke to the wizard, spoke at length to Gizzard and Thrush, who looked confused.

"Stay yourselves. It is strange to see a black cat be friends with a mountain bluebird, or any bird for that matter. An odd pair you make," said the male Tonkinese cat.

"And it is just as strange to see a cat walking with an old man," said Gizzard.

Thrush spoke, at random, "Sorry, we just ate breakfast about a couple of hours ago. So, we really don't need anymore."

The Tonkinese cat told Gizzard, "Come, friend cat, lower your defenses. I mean you no harm, as the old man doesn't mean anyone harm." He added, "You may remember me from the tales past."

Then Gizzard remembered a conversation he had with Algar:

_Coming out from behind a tree, Algar approached Gizzard and spoke, "A matter of warning, as well as a gift from me is what Lady Galadriel means." The silver Abyssinian cat paused, and then told Gizzard. "Ester, I should warn you that when you're on your journey, be mindful of both the Tonkinese brown cat and my brother Silvanus, for I fear that Silvanus is still alive and wandering the eastern borders towards Orthanc, or the dark tower Isengard, the wizard Saruman's stronghold. Word also spread from the Northern Borders that the Tonkinese brown cat could be walking in the shadows of Fangorn Forest, not just at the eaves of Fangorn. Be mindful of both cats for they could speak in riddles and say things not all of us are willing to believe."_

Gizzard was beside himself. Was this Tonkinese cat really the same one everyone spoke of? He was at a loss for words, but so was Thrush who landed on the ground in shock. The Tonkinese cat gave a catty grin.

"Ah! So you do know me, or at least my name," said the Tonkinese cat.

"I don't know your name. Only that you are a Tonkinese cat," cried Gizzard.

"Most would call me Baal, but I prefer not to go by that name," said the Tonkinese cat.

"Then what would you be called?" asked Thrush.

The Tonkinese cat chuckled. "I am Hakim, and you, dear Gizzard, I've been expecting for some time. Relax, your friend Clockwise is doing well. So well, in fact, that he found his wife Rosalina not two days ago."

Gizzard sighed in relief. "That's good to hear. I guess things turned out well for him."

Hakim said, "Yes, he has. I've known your friend ever since the Rainforest. We were caught on a sail barge together and miraculously got out of that mess."

Gizzard stopped himself. "Clockwise never told me anything about a sail barge. He said you were in Japan."

Hakim laughed. "Did he, indeed? He must have forgotten and given you false information."

"How did you come to be at Middle-earth, Hakim?" asked Thrush, curious.

"You mean during the great migration the animals took. I was one of the first cats to arrive from outside Middle-earth. Yes, there are cats already living in this world, but those of us who aren't from here can vouch otherwise," said Hakim. He then told his tale, "I was young when I came here during the First Age. A lot happened to me back then, and I was young and naïve. My previous home was Egypt, but even that stay did not last long.

"I had many adventures with the Elves and the Númenor, until the Númenors' kingdom fell as did Arnor. I grew wise during my experiences, but when the Second Age came, a lot changed. The Rings of Power were forged, as was the One Ring. That ring doesn't affect me, surprisingly. Some say I am like Tom Bombadil, but I am not as old as he. The cat Gwendolyn arrived during the Battle of the Last Alliance. I met her and found myself needing to help other talking animals who came from other worlds.

"My attention led me straight to Clockwise's family, or he's better known as Reyes. They were insightful birds that learned about Middle-earth. Clockwise's grandfather was most attracted to the idea of a world free from all things modern, and he told his grandchildren all about it. He wasn't crazy, as Rosalina found out and Clockwise's faith has stayed strong. But other matters have brought up many things. My interest has been with you as well, Gizzard or rather Ester."

"What importance have I to a wise cat?" asked Gizzard, confused.

"For many reasons, Gizzard. One being that I know you came to Middle-earth for an important reason. Gwen cannot be freed from Rivendell until the One Ring is destroyed," said Hakim.

"But she said there may not be a way to save her, allow her to leave Rivendell even after the Ring is destroyed," said Gizzard.

"I've heard different. Gwen's belief is set firm, but she has forgotten what it's like to be free, to bound to different places away from the elves," said Hakim. "One day, she may have to leave Rivendell."

"How did you know to find Gizzard?" asked Thrush.

"After word came to me from a few animals about a group of travelers, traveling with two animals, I figured I would investigate. The world is changing and new leaders are needed. When I tracked you down before Moria, Gizzard, I saw you a serious, sensitive cat who only dreamt of seeing your cat mate," said Hakim. Now, since your leave of Moria, you've proven you can fight in battles big or small."

"I didn't fight in Moria, and neither did Clockwise," said Gizzard, admitting.

"Well, your bird friend will be heading into battle soon enough," said Hakim. "You might as well prepare yourself. This time, we may need an animal leader."

Gizzard stood up. "Hakim, I am not a leader. Okay, I've never fought in a battle before. Now, you expect me to be a leader? I'm not ready for that."

Hakim said, serious, "The journey we're taking, straight to Edoras, will require strength and courage, even from the smallest creatures. There's more to you than meets the eye, Gizzard. That's something you're going to have to live up to one day soon."

"And what will we find at Edoras?" asked Thrush, curious.

Hakim said, "Why, we're to find danger. The king is ill, due to Saruman's hold. There may be a fellow dog and a few cats willing to help us."

"A dog? Couldn't you have chosen a more suitable animal?" asked Gizzard.

"Would you prefer a frog? No, there is a dog there that is loyal to King Théoden. He may be our only chance of seeing things through. I trust you're familiar with Silvanus, Algar's brother. He's at Edoras under guard of Gríma Wormtongue. But first, I wish to hear your journey," said Hakim.

"How goes with Frodo?" asked Gizzard. "Do you know?"

"The last I heard, the cat Mortar was traveling with him and Sam, as it seems. They'll be in further danger if that dreaded black cat gave away their position, no offense," said Hakim. "The journey they're taking to Mordor is vast and steep. Pray for them."

Gizzard, in light of the situation, informed Hakim of the journey after Rivendell and the many adventures he went through with Clockwise and the Fellowship. Thrush was especially interested in hearing the tale. Gizzard related Algar's tale and Clockwise's tale, which Hakim gladly corrected due to Clockwise's memory loss. Gizzard also mentioned that Algar told him something about Silvanus, his brother. Gizzard decided then to inform Hakim of the satchel he was given at Lothlórien. When the tale was finished, Hakim led Gizzard and Thrush back to their companions, who were being led by Gandalf out of the forest.

"How will we know Silvanus is dangerous?" asked Gizzard.

Hakim said, "He will make himself known." He stopped his companions, at the same time as Gandalf. Some gooey green creature stood on a log, dancing fibrously.

"What manner is this?" asked Boromir, stunned and confused.

"It's Flubber," said Gizzard. When he saw his companions confused, and after seeing Hakim allowing him to step forward, Gizzard as the green rubbery glob, "Excuse me? Do you know the way out of this forest?"

Flubber, after finishing his musical number with a series of Flubbers, bounded his way through the forest. The rubbery green glob, after seeing the companions keeping up with him, pointed in the right directions. Once the task was done, Flubber said his farewells and returned to the forest.

"Quite a strange little blob," said Legolas.

Before the companions lost hope on horses, Gandalf called Shadowfax to him. The three horses returned as well, as if awaiting orders. Hakim, with help from Gandalf, rode on Shadowfax. Gizzard and Boromir were back riding on their horse, Legolas with Gimli on Arod, and Aragorn on Hasufel. Thrush chose to fly after the companions. When everyone was ready, they set out across the plains of Rohan towards Meduseld. They spotted a great smoke rising upwards, which Gandalf informed that battle and war had drawn close. Either way, Gizzard had a feeling they were heading into war, something which he hoped to avoid.


End file.
